Yashasvi Jaiswal equals Virat Kohli, Chris Gayle, David Warner in exclusive IPL club with match-winning century vs MI
Yashasvi Jaiswal roared to form on Monday with an unbeaten century against the Mumbai Indians to lead Rajasthan Royals to a comprehensive nine-wicket win at home.
It was RR’s seventh win of the season and they extended their lead at the top of the table to four points. Jaiswal, who had scored 625 runs last season at a strike rate of 163.61 and average of 48.08, had recorded scores of 24, 5, 10, 0, 24, 39 and 19 this year before the innings on Monday. His lack of big scores was puzzling considering the record Test series he had against England earlier in the year.
On Monday, though, Jaiswal gave a reminder of his talents in the shortest format. He got to his century in 59 balls and hit the winning runs with a four off the fourth ball of the penultimate over. Jaiswal hit nine fours and seven sixes in his innings.
An elite list and a first for Yashashvi Jaiswal
This was his second century in the IPL and, notably, his first was against MI as well. This makes him the sixth player to score a century more than once against the same team. The 22-year-old thus joins a list that is led by KL Rahul, who has scored three centuries against MI.
Chris Gayle (vs Punjab Kings), Virat Kohli (vs Gujarat Lions), David Warner (vs Kolkata Knight Riders) and Jos Buttler (vs Royal Challengers Bengaluru and Kolkata Knight Riders) have all got two centuries against a single opposition. Jaiswal’s RR teammate Buttler, in fact, has got two centuries against two different oppositions each. Jaiswal is also the first player in IPL history to score two centuries before turning 23.
Jaiswal said that focussing on the basics and not overthinking during a testing phase helped him find form. “I really enjoyed it from the start and I made sure I was watching the ball properly and playing proper cricketing shots,” Jaiswal told the broadcaster after the match. “I’m trying to do what I am doing well, some days it comes good and some days it doesn’t, (but) I’m not thinking much,” he added.